Antiquarian & Collectible Book Terms Glossary - R

A glossary of words with definitions starting with the letter R related to collectible, rare and antiquarian books.

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Rag book - A children's book printed on and bound with cloth fabric.

Raised band or raised bands - The raised areas on the spine concealing a cord which is attached to the covers. In earlier leather books cords were really used to hold the book together. In some modern books the raised bands are purely decorative and conceal no underlying cord.

Raised cord - The raised areas on the spine concealing a cord which is attached to the covers. In earlier leather books cords were really used to hold the book together. In some modern books the raised bands are purely decorative and conceal no underlying cord.

Rare - Traditionally, a publication is "rare" if an active collector or bookseller expects to see it in the marketplace only once every ten to fifteen years. Some say a book is rare if there is less than 100 copies available.

RBKD or rbkd - Rebacked

Reading Copy - A copy of a book that is worn or used to such a degree that it is not in good enough condition to be considered collectible.

Re-backed or rebacked - When a book has been given a new spine and the hinges have been fixed. This process mends a book when the hinges are weak and the spine is worn and cracked. Also known as rebound and recased.

Re-bound or Rebound - The original binding of the book has been removed and a new binding has been attached and re-sewn. Also known as rebacked and recased.

Re-cased or recased- The original binding of the book has been removed and a new binding has been attached and re-sewn. Also known as rebacked and rebound.

Recto - The front side of a leaf or in the case of an open book the page on the right, with the page on the left being the verso.

Reinforced dust jacket - A dust jacket that has been strengthened with tape by the previous owner.

Reinforced library binding - A book with a stronger binding than the customary edition binding, and intended for use in a library.

Re-issue - A term encompassing all types of a reprinting of a work; it can be a later printing of a book, which is substantially unchanged, or an entirely new edition, such as a cloth edition re-issued as a paperback edition.

Rejointed - Means the book has been repaired preserving the original covers, including the spine.

Remainder - Books that are discounted from the publisher because of over-printing or lack of sales, or because the book has been revised. They are often sold to booksellers in bulk and usually have remainder marks on the outside edge or binding of the book.

Remainder Mark - A mark on a book with permanent marker, spray paint or a stamp that identifies a Remainder, or publisher's overstock. This mark is usually located on an outside edge, or on the binding of the book.

Replacement Value - The amount an insurance company would expect to pay from a bookseller to replace a lost or damaged book.

Reprd - Repaired

Reprint - A new impression from the same type setting, or a new edition of the work.

Re-sized or resized - Usually means that all of the pages in the book have been "washed" and sizing material, such as gelatin or glue, has been re-applied. The washing may have been done to remove stains, writing, or acid from the pages. Sizing provides a protective finish and makes flimsy paper stiff.

REV or rev - Revised

Reverse - The front side of a leaf or in the case of an open book the page on the right, with the page on the left being the verso.

Review copy - A copy of a book sent out for review by the publisher to the press, booksellers, and others in order to attract attention to the publication. Frequently review copies will have slips of paper inserted into the book, or have it written on the cover, announcing it as a review copy. Textbook review copies are also known as "desk copies" or "instructor copies" and are given to instructors to review for consideration for adoption of the regular edition. Also known as advance reading copy.

Ringbound - The binding of individual sheets of paper in an exchangeable form, for pages to be added, removed, or relocated in the book. Loose-leaf bindings are used wherever records of repeatedly changing information must be kept. Instruction manuals, catalogs, and accounting forms are often loose-leaf bound. Also known as loose-leaf.

Roan - A soft, flexible, sheepskin binding. This durable, yet cheap, leather material came in to use around 1790 as a replacement for the more expensive morocco leather, and is not known for its elegance.

Rough - Unpolished suede-like leather, which was primarily used for binding of reference books, music scores, working manuals, and similar books, since the 18th century. Also known as reversed calf.

Rubbed - Refers to condition; the spine or cover has visible scuff marks and may be worn in places.

Rule - A continuous line, thick or thin, that is used in decorative printing. In the 1800s and early 1900s, title pages were often enclosed in plain rule-borders. The term can also apply to a decorative line on a binding, which may be in blind or gilt.

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